Tree Removal

Our Process

Each tree removal is different. Considerations such as the size and condition of the tree, the specifics of your property and the presence of nearby structures all affect the approach our arborists take. Typically, this will involve either climbing the tree and cutting it down piece-by-piece, or using a specially equipped bucket truck. Using a bucket truck is faster, though in close quarters the climbing method is the best way to ensure the safety of your property and anyone nearby.

In most tree removals, a portion of the stump is left behind. Stump removal is a more involved process requiring specialized equipment and often extensive disruption to your lawn. However, if you require it, we can also provide a quote to remove the stump as well.

Zero-Impact Tree Removal

All Natural Tree Experts is unique in our zero-impact approach to tree removal. Virginia homeowners who contact us for service can do so with the confidence of knowing we will leave your property in better condition than we left it.

If not done properly, tree removal can cause significant damage to your lawn and the surrounding ground. To minimize impact, we use special rigging and take care to rope up every branch we remove, lowering it safely without causing damage.

Tree Removal Guide & FAQs:All Your Questions Answered

Why All Natural Tree Experts?

The certified arborists at All Natural Tree Experts have removed thousands of trees for property owners in Roanoke and beyond. Our team works quickly and safety, minimizing the disruption to your home. We are available around the clock to provide emergency service as necessary. For non-emergency tree removals, we are typically able to serve you within two days, or at your convenience.

Trees are living things, and like all living organisms, it is possible for them to get sick and even to die. While a tree can provide you with many benefits, once it reaches a particular state, the best thing to do is remove it. Knowing what to look for can help you decide when it is the right time to remove a tree from your property.

When Should You Remove a Tree?

You don't always have to remove a tree that is looking a little worse for wear. In some cases, all a tree needs is a proper pruning to help restore its looks and good health. An expert arborist can examine the trees on your property and let you know what the best course of action is.

Usually, the following signs and symptoms mean that it's time to remove a tree.

There is significant damage: Trees with a minimal amount of damage can often be saved. But if 50 percent or more of the tree is damaged in some way, such as a cracked or rotted trunk, removal is usually the best option.

Fungus is growing on the trunk: Mushrooms on the base of a tree aren't cute. They are a sign that the trunk has rotted. In some cases, fungus growing on the tree means that it has a root disease.

The roots are damaged: Speaking of roots, if half of the tree's root system has been damaged or disturbed, removal is usually the best choice. Construction and excavation are two leading causes of root damage.

Large branches are damaged: Damage to the major branches on a tree is more of a danger to people and property than it is to the tree itself. If more than 25 percent of the larger branches on a tree is damaged, removal may be the best option. An arborist can examine the tree carefully and let you know if removal is a must or if trimming or removing the affected branches will be enough.

Damaged branches are on one side of the tree: If the branches on one side of the tree are damaged, the tree will not only look lopsided; it will be lopsided. An unbalanced tree is more likely to fall over, so the best choice might be to remove it before it does so.

Small branches are growing from the base of the tree: When a tree starts to produce small shoots or branches near the base of the trunk, that's a sign that the tree has experienced some stress, such as a disease or damage from construction. An arborist can let you know if the damage is severe enough to require removal.

The tree is growing into a power line: A tree that's going to grow right up into the electric lines near your home is dangerous. During a storm, the tree can act as a ground and cause a power outage. Removing a tree that's in contact with power lines is a job for a professional, licensed arborist.

The tree has been "topped": "Topping" a tree is the practice of removing a significant amount of its leaf-bearing crown, anywhere from 50 to 100 percent. It was once a widespread practice, even though it causes several problems for trees, ranging from putting them at an increased risk for sunburn to speeding up the process of decay. Topped trees produce a lot of delicate branches, which are more likely to break in a storm. While topping won't always damage a tree beyond repair, it's occasionally the case that the best thing to do for a topped tree is to remove it.

The soil line has changed: Changes in the soil that covers the roots of the tree can cause damage or disease, meaning the tree needs to be removed. For example, if the soil line rises by a few inches, covering the roots and crown of the tree, the tree can die.

How Do You Remove a Tree That's Fallen?

Whether from old age or a particularly rough storm, sometimes a tree can fall before you have a chance to remove it. The good news is that removing a fallen tree is usually less expensive than removing a tree that's still upright. Nature's done at least some of the work for you. It's now up to you to hire someone to finish the job or do it yourself.

Usually, removing a fallen tree is a multi-step process. Since it's difficult to drag the tree away in one piece, it usually needs to be cut up into several smaller logs and branches. Next, you need to haul the cut-up tree away. If you want to use the tree's wood for firewood, you should find a place to stack and store it.

Fallen trees leave behind a stump, which you'll most likely want to remove to improve the look of your yard. How you remove the stump depends on its size. You can dig out smaller and shallow rooted tree stumps by hand, using a shovel or hoe.

Larger stumps are likely to need a stump grinder for proper removal. The tool, which you can rent and use on your own or hire a professional to use, has sharp teeth that break down and chew up the roots about a foot beneath the ground's surface.

Things to Consider Before Removing a Tree

Before you hire someone to remove a tree or remove the tree yourself, it's important to answer a few questions about the tree removal process. You want to know what will happen to other trees on your property and what can be done to make the removal as safe as possible.

How will removing the tree affect other trees? No tree is an island. Removing a tree from your yard can affect other trees, vegetation and animals in the area. Take a look at other trees that grow on your property. Removing an older, larger tree that provides plenty of shade can put shorter or younger trees under stress.

Who will remove the tree? Removing a tree can be a big job and is often best left to professional arborists who have a full understanding of trees and the things that affect them. If you do hire a professional tree removal team, it's a good idea to confirm that they are licensed to work in Virginia.

What type of equipment will be used? The kind of equipment needed to remove a tree depends on the tree's location, what's near it and how much of the tree you want to be removed. If you're looking to remove both the stump and the tree, you'll need a stump grinder as well as equipment to remove the tree. Bucket trucks can make short work of tree removal, but if space is tight, climbing the tree to cut it down piece by piece might be the way to go.

What will happen to the tree after it's removed? If you want to use the wood as firewood, do you have a place to store it? If you have no use for the wood, how will you arrange to have it taken off of your property?

What is the risk of property damage? Sometimes, tree removal can put other structures at risk. You don't want a part of the tree to fall onto the roof of your house, onto your car or worse, onto your neighbor's property, causing damage. Assess whether or not the tree can be removed without causing significant damage to property around it. The method used to remove the tree influences whether or not it can cause additional damage.

The Benefits of Zero Impact Tree Removal

One way to minimize or eliminate the risk of damage during tree removal is to work with arborists who use a method known as zero impact tree removal.

Standard tree removal practices can leave a huge mess behind once the job is completed. There might be tire tracks on the ground from the trucks used or tiny branches and leaves scattered all over the place. In the worst case scenario, a piece of the tree can come flying down, landing on the roof of a car, in the middle of your vegetable garden or on your children's playset.

During zero impact tree removal, special care is taken to make sure the branches and pieces of the tree don't end up all over your yard. Rigging and cords help guide the cut branches slowly down to the ground. All debris is cleaned up and removed before the end of the job.

How Much Does Tree Removal Cost?

The cost of tree removal isn't set in stone. Costs are influenced by a variety of factors, from the location of the tree to the number of trees that need removal. The size of the tree and its condition also affect the cost. Nationwide, the average cost for tree removal in 2017 was $651, but actual cost ranged from $75 to $1,500.

Tree size plays a significant role in the overall cost of tree removal. It's common for arborists to charge based on the height of the tree. The taller the tree, the higher the cost, since more effort will be involved in cutting it down. Overall thickness also affects costs. Thicker trees usually take longer to cut and often cost more than skinny trees.

The health of the tree might also affect the cost of removing it. If a tree is in bad shape or if special care needs to be taken during the removal process, the price can go up.

Where the tree is located and what's nearby influences price as well. A tree that's off to itself and not near any structures or other trees will usually cost less to remove than a tree that's next to a house or in a grove of numerous other trees.

Removing the stump of the tree usually adds to the cost, as stump removal is a separate process.

Should You DIY Tree Removal?

After looking at the potential cost of tree removal, you might wonder if you're better off taking the DIY approach. The answer to that depends on a few things. The most important aspect to consider is the safety of removing a tree yourself.

Trees can be sneaky things. A tree that's been dead for a long time or that has had significant decay might not fall the way you expect it to after you've cut it. Not knowing where the tree is going to fall puts you at risk for physical injury and property damage.

The other big safety concern has to do with the equipment used to cut down and remove a tree and the safety gear you wear. Tree removal experts have completed plenty of training in how to use the saws and other equipment. They also have access to equipment that the average homeowner doesn't have, meaning that hiring a professional can often be a lot less of a hassle than doing the job yourself.

Arborists also, by law, have to wear protective gear to reduce the risk of injury. Tree removal is an industry with one of the highest rates of fatalities each year. You want to ask yourself if the risk of severe injury or death is something you want to take on.

Of course, just because one person is better off hiring a professional for tree removal doesn't mean that everyone needs to. If you have a good idea of what you are doing and what is involved in the process of cutting down and removing a tree, and you have the equipment you need to do it safely, then you might be perfectly fine doing the job yourself.

You can try practicing tree removal by working on removing a smaller tree yourself. If that goes off without any issues, you can advance to larger trees. But it might be that you realize that even the process of removing a small tree is too complicated and too messy and that hiring a team of professionals is going to save you a lot of headache.

One last thing to consider before removing a tree yourself: The rules of your state. Virginia doesn't have any particular rules when it comes to the removal of trees on private land. But other states and cities do. For example, in Austin, Texas, you need a permit to remove a tree that has a circumference larger than 60 inches.

If you need tree removal in Virginia, give All Natural Tree Experts a call. We offer zero impact tree removal services in Roanoke, Virginia and the surrounding area. Our services include residential and commercial tree removal, as well as emergency removal after a storm or when a tree has fallen on a home or other structure. We're available 24/7 to help you. Contact us today for a consultation and free estimate.

Tree Services

Our Customers Support Our Work.

""We had a huge oak tree fall on our shed and there was a huge maple about to fall down next to it from the recent storms. We had to get both removed before insurance could estimate the damage. Mr. Dwayne Shepherd came right out and gave us an estimate we could afford. We also hired his company to thin out trees blocking our view. They did a great job and highly recommend them." 5.0 Stars"

BRIAN DUVALL, Callaway, Va.

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Emergency Tree Removal

We are prepared to take your call.

Do you have a tree that has fallen and is causing damage? Then call for our Emergency Tree Removal service. It's quick to ensure the immediate safety of your property and family. This is why we offer 24/7 Emergency Tree Service.

We have all the equipment for your emergency tree service situation and are available 24 hours a day.